


You cannot dream yourself to notice

by anonymouswatcher



Series: I'm not alone [1]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grey's Anatomy Fusion, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Grey's Anatomy, M/M, Mention of Death, OC death, possible ooc, sort of angsty, t for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 13:05:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17244740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymouswatcher/pseuds/anonymouswatcher
Summary: It took my brain a moment to figure out the situation at hand but when I did - holy shit. Can we not have one normal day in this hospital?





	You cannot dream yourself to notice

**Author's Note:**

> All characters belong to ABC and Shonda Rhimes - I am making no profit. Still living without a beta, I’m sorry. 
> 
> Title from the Calvin Harris song 'I'm Not Alone'

I make my way down the hall almost skipping with happiness. It is one of those days where you wake up on the right side of the bed and are ready to take on the world. Maybe that had something to do with Dr. Nico Kim, ‘Ortho God’, waking up on the other side of my childhood bed in my mother’s house but who’s asking? It felt like nothing could take down the high I had.

“Schmitt! You’re with me for a Peds case,” came the booming voice of the interim chief of surgery, Dr. Karev.

Well, there goes my happy mood.

I try to minimize contact with Alex Karev to the absolute minimum. It’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room - me sleeping with his wife, of course - so we try to avoid any contact. Why does he even have a pediatric case? Doesn’t he have chief-like things that he should be doing? I lose the pep in my step as I follow him. The elevator ride is deafeningly silent.

The elevator dings on that appropriate floor and we move down the hall. He scrolls through his iPad as he talks to me, “This is a VIP patient. You will stay with them all day and cannot switch with another intern. Do you understand me?” I nod furiously and wonder who this patient is to deserve so much attention and why I was the one assigned to the case. His continued ramble broke me from my thoughts, “Only call imperative personal to this room. This is your only concern for the rest of your shift. Now, here,” he says as he hands me the iPad. “Don’t screw this up Glasses.”

I sure hope I don’t.

I wait for Dr. Karev to remove himself from the hallway before I look down at the screen – trying to prepare myself before I go in. With little to no information to go on – only the patient’s first name and history - I pray to every deity under the skies that I don’t fuck this up and slowly open the door.

I take in the sight of the patient. She’s a teenager – obviously on the younger side. Her dark skin shines despite the harsh hospital lighting and she has the most beautiful afro I’ve ever seen – curls gently cradling her face.

“Hello, Katherine. I hope I am not bothering you. My name is Dr. Schmitt and I will be treating you this afternoon.”

The girls head snaps up at my introduction and her warm, brown eyes conveyed nothing but worry. With a chance to see her front profile, I didn’t recognize her as a pop star or Hollywood actress, making me wonder why she was a VIP. Was she the child of a politician or board member? Despite my curiosity, I press forward toward the center of the room. I can see the gashes on her seemingly delicate face and abrasions all down her arms. A cast, honestly not the most well done I’ve seen, also covers the majority of her right leg.

“Let me guess, I should see the other guy, right?” I say to break the ice.

Her sheepish but genuine smile is a breath of fresh air. One benefit to working in the pediatric unit is that the smile of a child can really brighten your day.

“More like you should see the sidewalk. I’d say a good twenty percent of skin was left in that park,” she answers with a chuckle.

I grab a roller chair and pull it closer to her bedside. “Ahh, I see, would you like to explain what happened,” I ask as I begin to expect the dressings of her wounds. “A little wrestle between me, my skateboard, and gravity one may say. But it should fine. My leg just hurts like a bitch.” I raise my eye at her vulgar language but nonetheless fiddle with her distribution of pain medication to reduce her suffering.

She must notice the surprise on my face. “Dude, I’m a teenager, cursing is the norm. Also, listen this may sound crazy but I know a doctor here,” she says before licking her lips, “Please get him for me please – I know he’s the best.”

I internally roll my eyes. If I had a nickel for every patient who swears they were friends with a doctor in this hospital to get special treatment, I could buy a round at Joe’s for the intern group. I picked up the iPad to continue looking over her chart but decided to humor her. “And who would that be?”

She sat up with a wince, “His name is Linc. I guess you would call him Dr. Lincoln. Tall, blond-ish guy – looks like he belongs on a surfboard or driving an off-road jeep? He fixes bones and I’d love him to check out the job that the nurse at school did,” she says gesturing at her cast.

I look up at her description. Maybe this girl does know him after all.

“Well since this is an orthopedic case, I can indeed call him for you. I will reach out to your parents as well to update them on the situation,” I said as I sent a page to Dr. Lincoln.

Her eyes grew comically large at that statement, “Why do you need to call?”

Her response was interesting, “Well you are a minor, your parents have to be informed that you’re here.” I can hear her jaw snap shut.

“Oh, they already know! I mean…he already knows. He works here.” And now I see how she was a VIP patient. “He’s busy and I don’t want to stress him out but he knows. Don’t worry about it,” she says with a dazzling smile. I honestly can’t tell if she is telling the truth but then Dr. Lincoln is walking into the room with all the confidence of a man who is great at his job.

“Kit-Kat?” comes the questioning tone from the Ortho surgeon.

“Hi Uncle Atti,” she says in a sad tone.

Uncle? I may be the one that needs to be in the hospital bed because my hearing may very well be messed up. He must have heard something in her voice because his hands were firmly placed on his hips, “Katherine Thomas -”

“I’m sorry!” she exclaims. “It was an accident, I swear.”

His eyes soften, “What happened?”

She gives him the same account that was given to me.

“Have you told -”

“Yep. He knows.”

Lincoln’s eyes narrow at her before shifting over to me, “Does Dr. Schmitt know -”

“ Dr. Schmitt knows everything that he needs to.”

They lock eyes in an intense staring match and I am left confused by the cut-off sentences and obvious secrets. Dr. Lincoln breaks the stare first to pull out his pager.

“I want to double-check with her guardian, Dr. Schmitt. I’ve paged Dr. Kim to patch her up in my absence to make sure she gets proper care.” Panic rises in her voice, “No. Please. Can’t you just patch me up and let me go home?” He shook his head as he made his exit, “Katie - don’t fight me on this, please. It’s for the best. I’ll check in with you later.”

When the door closes she turns to me, “Please, Please! Don’t say anything to anyone about how or why I got here – I do not consent. I’m holding you to HIPPA! I know all about that.”

We both turn when the door creaks open and in walks none other than Nico Kim. And everything decided to go to shit.

“Ah shit. Hi Oppa”

It took my brain a moment to figure out the situation at hand but when I did - holy shit. Can we not have one normal day in this hospital?

I may not know what the word means, but the tone was familiar. It was one I used with my mother when I had my hand literally stuck in the cookie jar. It was a tone that told that this was the parent she had that worked in the hospital – the one that ‘knew’ she was here.

“You have a kid?” was all that could leave my mouth.

Katie crosses her arms, “He’s my guardian but he’s not like my dad. He’s not that old.”

Neither of us spares her a glance as we lock eyes intensely. The room quiets and I can hear my heart hammering against my ribs. Something unreadable passes through his eyes as he says, “Yes, I have a child, Dr. Schmitt. Is that a problem for you?” His frigid and professional tone combined with his tense body language tells me he is protective over this girl. A girl who I had no idea about and who probably has no idea who I am in his life.

“Nope. I love kids! Was a big fan of being one myself.” I force myself to say with enthusiasm. I have no idea how I really feel – but I rather put a nice face and process later. He visibly relaxes when I say this and his shoulders drop. The ghost of a smile appears on his face. We would talk later for sure, but I know for now that we are fine.

“I’m not a kid, I am a teenager!” The outburst came from the pouting girl in the bed.

Nico shifted his attention to her and his jaw set out of clear agitation and a hint of worry.

“If you act like a child you will be called one. Please explain to me why you are in this hospital,” he snaps. Her jaw shuts close, “It was an accident. That’s it.” He keeps his eyes on her while addressing me.

“Dr. Schmitt?”

“Don’t you dare. Stay strong,” comes weakly from the bed.

I sent a sheepish smile her way despite her threat. “Katherine Thomas … Kim? Open leg fracture due to an incident with a skateboard. In addition, various liaisons and abrasions to the face and arm areas.”

“Sellout,” comes a mumble from the bed.

I could almost see the steam coming out of Nico’s ears, “What did I tell you about that damn skateboard? I confiscated it for a reason. Now you have a second broken bone because of it. I am going to snap it in half and use it as firewood.”

Somehow, I don’t doubt he could snap a skateboard in half. And I can’t say I am mad at the visual. However, I do think I should defuse the situation before they both snapped.

“Maybe you should pick up another sport. One without wheels. I hear soccer is nice,” I try.

They both glance at me before breaking out into laughter. Nico looks to the ceiling and sighs before looking over at her with sad eyes. “I am beyond mad, but I love you. You know that, right?” She gives a small nod, “I know Oppa. I really am sorry.”

“It’s okay. We will talk about it later - including your punishment. For now, please get some rest,” he says before placing a kiss on her forehead.

“Okay. Love you.”

I never thought I would enjoy seeing Nico say I love you to another person but the interaction warmed my heart. We both make our exit into the hallway. We walk silently side by side. Both obviously thinking how the conversation would go. My train of thought was interrupted by him dragging me into the first on-call room we passed and locking the door. Usually, this sound would run a thrill through me. However, I was apprehensive towards the topic at hand. I have never even had a real relationship - nonetheless considered one where a child was involved. That can lead to so many variables.

“So where did she stay last night?” I start.

He pinches the bridge of his nose, obviously not expecting that as my first response. “She stayed over at a friend’s house and I took it as an opportunity to stay with you. I never leave her home overnight alone. Only a few people know about her – Linc, obviously. He watches her most time. Bailey knows because she was chief and Karev knows because he is chief now. I’ve had to swap out shifts when there was no way she could be watched.”

I nod along, “How old is she?”

He smirks at this, “She just turned fifteen but sometimes it feels like she’s fifty”

“Does she live with you all the time?” He simply nods.

Looking back, it all made sense why he was all too eager to come to my home or spend the night in my bed. He didn’t want me to visit him and see the tampons in his bathroom or the high school textbooks lying around and put two and two together – he lived with a pseudo-daughter.

“Is she yours biologically?” This question makes him tense. He answers with a curt, “No.”

“Is she a step kid?” I push further. 

“No.”

“So how? And how could you not tell me?” He remained silent. And my frustration came to the surface as a rush.

“God, Nico. It’s not that you have a kid that’s bothering me. It’s that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me.” I finally snap. “Not everything little thing that happens will send me into some sort of shame spiral and running away from you.”

And there it is, isn’t it? I worry about his fear of me leaving.

I walk until there is but a hair’s breadth of personal space. “I am not going anywhere. I am here – with you. And I am ready for the good, the bad, and the personal. Whatever that may entail. You can tell me anything.” He stares deeply into my eyes without making a sound and I worry that I may have overstepped my boundaries until he leans down to kiss my forehead.

“In high school, I had this best friend named Michael Thomas,” he starts. “He was several years my senior and worked as a mentor there, but he was just the nicest, friendliest most down-to-earth guy I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He married a nice girl – Tanya and they had the most beautiful baby girl – Katherine.” I can see the genuine adoration in her eyes as he talks about her. “She was just the best baby – never cried, fussed, or made a mess. I would go to their house after school and watch her for free if they had to work. Would read my textbooks to her before she could speak which is part of the reason I think she’s such a smart ass now.” We both pause to chuckle but a smile slips off his face as he continues his story. “By the time I was eighteen and they asked me to be her godfather, it was a no-brainer. She was in my life anyway. I just didn’t expect…” Obviously becoming overwhelmed, Nico sits on the nearby bed. I place myself next to him and put a hand on his knee for support. He puts his hand over mine but refuses to make eye contact, instead staring into the distance. “I didn’t expect five years later as I am beginning my medical career that Michael and his wife would both die in a car accident – drunk driver. I had to identify the bodies. All I could see were their broken bones and thinking how out-of-place they were. Maybe that’s why I became an Ortho surgeon - to fix all in my path because theirs ... I never could.” I squeeze his knee harder. The pain he felt clear in his voice. “Anyway, I made a promise to Michael when I became his daughter’s godfather that I would take care of his little girl in case anything ever happened to him. So that is what I did and what I will keep doing.”

He paused his story and removed his hand from on top of mind to cover his face. His voice muffled as he says, “It was hard. It was so fucking hard to not only lose my mentor and best friend but it was also hard to take on caring for a little girl – day and night. It’s a fulltime job. God help me when she hit puberty. I’ve had to be a mother, father, friend, and foe. She’s worth it though – she’s worth it all.” He removes his hands but wipes his eyes to stop the tears that threaten to burst over the edge. “The only thing is every day I wake up and see him in her eyes and sometimes I want to scream - scream at him for leaving the both of us alone and then scream at myself for ever thinking that way. It’s just so much.”

I never would have known the depths to Nico from just looking at him.

“You don’t have to carry this weight alone,” I say. I have no idea where that comes from but it is the truth. I was willing to walk this path with him. “I’m happy I met her. You’re a lucky guy.”  
“I’m happy you met her too,” he says before pulling me into a hug.

We stay in that embrace until I break out from a sudden revelation. “Oh my god!” I exclaim, “I get it now. Dr. Karev said Katie was a VIP patient. He wanted me to be on her case because he knew that she was connected to you. Can’t believe I didn’t put it together.” We both laugh. I think that the chief and I can call ourselves even after the day that I had.

He grabs my hand as we leave the on-call room and make out way back to Katie’s room.

I can’t help but have one last inquiry – my curiosity getting the better of me “Hey. She called you Oppa when you walked into the room. What does that mean?”

He smiles at that. “It’s Korean. It basically translates to 'older brother.'”

I nod along, “Oh yeah, that makes sense. Was wondering if it meant like daddy or something.” He stops in the hallway to double over in laughter - yet never letting go of my hand.

“No, she doesn’t call me daddy,” he says as he tugs me in close, so his mouth was in direct contact with my ear to whisper, “But you can if you want.”

And you know what? Maybe not having a normal day isn’t so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> May or may not make a real series out of this. Not sure yet. Suggestions warmly accepted. 
> 
> Kudos and comments greatly appreciated - they help me keep writing.


End file.
